Presents an interview with a middle school student, a boy of Caucasian and African American descent. Notes that the student's candid thoughts on reading provoked the author to wonder about the middle school reading experience, especially for those who resist it. Looks at choice, time, and the classroom to help students become engaged readers. (SG)

Discusses the interests and tastes secondary students have for nonfiction. Presents ways to incorporate nonfiction into read-aloud activities. Discusses 18 nonfiction books suitable for use in secondary read-aloud programs. (RS)

Getting students to read can often be a very exasperating, frustrating experience for classroom teachers, parents, and reading specialists alike. However, the use of jokes, cartoons, funny stories, comedy records, and joke books can be used to instill a love of reading. Humor can also be used to improve interpersonal skills, and reading and…

Using the "Reader's Digest" as a resource for students with seventh- to eighth-grade reading levels is recommended by a teacher of the hearing impaired. Four lesson plans based on a selected story are presented as an illustration, and ordering information is provided. (JW)

Suggests that teachers of reading would do well to look at the books in use in their classrooms and ask if they really do help present the acts of reading and writing as being varied, important, and enjoyable. (HOD)

Explores a particular aspect of adolescents' literacy development: their growth in the interpretation and appreciation of literature. Examines how decisions about the goals of literature instruction and the kinds of literature selected can create difficulties for maturing readers. Suggests some instructional approaches that support the development…

Argues that scanning a nonfiction book helps students (1) realize they can read parts of a book to obtain information; and (2) practice skimming, scanning, and library skills. Relates that students began checking out more books on topics of interest and began to realize how they can use books to learn. (RS)

Offers overviews of 13 recent predictable books for children, noting books that invite drama activities and books that lead to writing activities. Suggests ways to help young children become confidant and joyful readers and writers. (SR)

Offers eight short essays written by English teachers recommending nonfiction books that they use successfully in their high-school classrooms to grab students' interest, to provoke lively discussions, and to offer refreshing models for student writing. (SR)

Argues, from the author's experience and with supporting quotes from many teenagers, that modern retellings of classic fairy tales can be very popular with teenage readers. Discusses numerous such stories, and offers an extensive list of retold fairy tales, organized into: Cinderella stories, Beauty and the Beast stories, Sleeping Beauty stories,…

Describes a successful practice for incorporating more novels into community college literature courses and for sparking student interest in reading. Presents a book club assignment that includes both collaborative activities and a group presentation. Considers how a book club assignment offers an effective way to include more writers into the…

Argues that English teachers should remember that nonfiction is the preferred reading choice of many of their students, and can be a "good read" and have superb aesthetic qualities. Offers guidelines to help educators design strategies to elicit student responses about nonfiction in the classroom. Describes 25 recently published outstanding…

Suggests sports literature as an alternative to traditional course work in high school reading classes. Explains how best to use it. (FL)

Developing the lifelong love of reading requires lifetime literacy efforts. Teachers and administrators who support these efforts view the language arts from a "big-picture" perspective but realize that they must act in specific ways. Determining students' attitudes toward reading, giving them experiences with different texts, providing them with…

Discusses the value of reading picture books aloud to secondary school students. Describes how to select picture books and discusses strategies for reading aloud. Lists 17 suggested picture books for reading aloud. Argues that reading aloud to middle and high school students demonstrates a teacher's enthusiasm for reading, which can be contagious.…